RALEIGH, N.C.–State Employees’ Credit Union is teaming with NC GreenPower to help expand the development of renewable energy sources through a pilot program geared to benefit North Carolina public schools – the Solar Schools project.
Over the next two years, the credit union’s SECU Foundation will invest up to $140,000, awarding a $10,000 matching challenge grant to 14 K-12 public schools that meet NC GreenPower’s program requirements for the installation of a pole-mounted solar PV system on school campuses.
The Foundation’s matching challenge grant will help qualify each school for a 5 kW solar array system, which will offer an educational tool in the classroom, as well as an energy impact that will likely produce enough renewable energy to power a school’s main office. The impact saves an estimated 6,570 kilowatt hours with a potential cost savings of $657 annually.
Under the partnership agreement, NC GreenPower will oversee all aspects of the Solar Schools pilot project, including participant applications, program criteria and school selection, cost proposals, training and educational materials. Applicants who have the greatest need, such as public schools in economically depressed counties are preferred candidates for the Solar Schools project. Four schools have already been selected for the 2015-2016 school year and an additional ten schools will be selected for 2016-2017, SECU reported.
“We are excited to extend our support for NC GreenPower’s Solar Schools project,” commented McKinley Wooten, Jr., Chairman of SECU Foundation’s Board. “Each year since 2007, our ‘GreenPower’ energy program partnership has funded approximately two-million kilowatt hours of green-sourced energy as a replacement for fossil fuel-based energy – one kilowatt hour of green energy annually for each of our two-million SECU members! Helping to integrate solar power in our schools as an alternative energy source is a worthy effort toward expanding renewable green power sources and providing financial benefits to challenged schools.”